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by Aaron Dworkin, Aaron Flagg, & Allison Vulgamore

Three views of the journey toward onstage diversity.

Editor's Note:

No orchestra in America would declare itself opposed to achieving true
diversity onstage. Yet the goal of diversity, long sought, remains
elusive, particularly with regard to African-American and Latino
musicians. The reasons--including slow turnover in the orchestra
field's "destination" positions, a dearth of affordable instrumental
education in our communities and schools, and a maze of other obstacles
to nurturing talent--are complex and intertwined.

Recent years have brought a surge of progress. The Sphinx Competition,
founded in 1998, now recognizes gifted young black and Latino string
players early, so their aspirations to orchestral careers can be
encouraged. Its attendant orchestra, the Sphinx Symphony, brings
together professional players of color each February for the
competition's finals. The Sphinx Organization is now in partnership
with the League to provide scholarship assistance to competition
laureates through the League's Music Assistance Fund. These outstanding
young musicians are also presented annually as soloists in young
people's concerts by some 20 American orchestras, where they serve as
realistic role models for aspiring performers in the audience.
Meanwhile, orchestras and conservatories are creating programs that
support the career goals of young players, and/or train
elementary-level youngsters. At The Juilliard School, a Music
Advancement Program offers private lessons to African-American, Latino,
and Native American students in the New York City public schools.
Orchestras in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Detroit, among
others, have developed a constellation of training and apprenticeship
initiatives. The boom in youth orchestras, which as a whole enjoy a
higher level of diversity than adult orchestras, holds further promise
for the future.

Such efforts are devoted to the supply pipeline of orchestral
talent, so their results may not be apparent in the ranks of
professional orchestras for some time yet. But League statistics also
tell an encouraging story: While the actual numbers are still quite
small, since 1995 there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of
black players in North America's 25 largest orchestras, as well as a
small increase in the number of Latino musicians. Similar increases are
evident in statistics for the American orchestra field as a whole.

Last spring, the League asked three individuals to open a public
discussion of diversity onstage, focusing on both immediate and
long-term ways to create opportunities and a welcoming environment for
musicians of color. Their comments, presented at the League's 2002
National Conference in Philadelphia and adapted here for SYMPHONY, are
enlightening, frank, and sometimes provocative. They don't agree on all
points--each, for instance, defines "diversity" somewhat
differently--nor will you, the reader, agree with all their ideas.
Their objective, and ours, is to provide grist for the mill of creative
thought and locally appropriate action. We invite you to consider these
comments carefully, and share your own viewpoints with SYMPHONY by
writing to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Old Commitment, New Energy
Three views of the journey toward onstage diversity

by Aaron Dworkin, Aaron Flagg, & Allison Vulgamore

At the Feet of the New Out-of-the-box thinking is the first step.

With more than one-third of all Americans belonging to a minority
group, it is increasingly difficult to be successful without
incorporating diversity in your overall organization. More...
- Aaron DworkinFounder and Executive Director, The Sphinx Organization

Extend an Invitation
Those who welcome and nurture minority talent will reap the benefits.

I do not see racism or discrimination in the audition process as the
key problem. The problem is that very few musicians of color are
auditioning for orchestra positions at all. More...
- Aaron Flagg Director of Educational Outreach, The Juilliard School; Freelance trumpet playerFrom Ideal to Reality
Understanding our similarities as well as our differences.

Start by recognizing that it's necessary to feed the talent
identification system. There is a role for affirmative action, and
there is a role for developing talent. More...
- Allison VulgamorePresident and Managing Director, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra;
Graduate, Diversity Leadership Academy of The American Institute for
Managing Diversity

This three part article is excerpted from the January/February 2003 issue of
SYMPHONY, the League's award-winning bimonthly magazine, covering
issues, artists, and trends in the orchestra field. To subscribe, send
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